Care
by JPHBK
Summary: Part 24 of my post "Justice League" film series. The aftermath of the battle with Darkseid. Everyone needs someone to care for them.


Disclaimer: DC owns the characters within, not I.

Diana looked down at her bare torso in the mirror. Bruises. Scrapes. Cuts. Things she was not used to seeing. She ran a hand over a particularly purple patch just above her navel. Her armor usually protected against most attacks, and what it did not deflect her own skin usually turned away.

Darkseid was different. She knew this from their first encounter. She had anticipated having battle scars from it and she did. Diana reached up and quickly put her hair in a ponytail so she could examine her neck. It was stiff and slightly sore. She ran a hand across the back of it and let out a small sigh.

She felt the air next to her change and she smiled as she glanced in the mirror to see Clark standing in the bedroom doorway. He was shirtless to match her. He moved to stand next to her to share the mirror space. She glanced up to meet his eyes in the mirror as he traced her wounds with his.

Diana scanned down his bare chest and abdomen. No scratches, no marks. She wasn't sure if she should be surprised or not. After seeing the change that had came over him after he absorbed the sun the way he had. She knew it changed him, she'd never in her life seen or scarcely heard of the kind of power he had possessed when he returned to earth.

"You don't even have a scratch," Diana finally broke the air of silence hanging over the room.

"Thanks to you..." Clark responded as he turned from his reflection to face her fully. He reached out tentatively to hover a hand over one of her bruises. "This looks..."

"Painful," Diana finished his sentence. He nodded. "It'll heal."

"When?" Clark inquired.

"I don't know... I've never been hit the way Darkseid hit," Diana answered truthfully.

"Soon?" Clark questioned, his eyes moving up to meet her.

"Probably," Diana answered.

"Good," Clark responded with a smile, that Diana felt compelled to match. Genuine. She'd never get over how genuine all of Clark's emotions were. "I..."

"We will all be okay," Diana stated softly, reading his mind. "We won, the team all made it back safe..."

Clark nodded and closed his eyes as Diana's hand rested against his cheek. He reached up to take her hand and turned his head slightly to place a kiss on her palm. There was silence over them as they held their eye contact.

"Were you going to shower?" Clark asked.

"Yes," Diana answered. Clark smiled.

(****)

"It hurts..." Arthur said as he glanced down at the wound on his forearm. His eyes moved up from it to meet Mera's.

"It looks like it," Mera replied.

"Nothing some saltwater won't fix," Arthur stated with a hearty chuckle. Mera grinned and shook her head. She then glanced around the secluded beach before turning to face the water. Arthur watched her, finding her far more captivating than any of the scenery surrounding them. "I never said... you know... thank you."

"Mmm... well... you seemed grateful," Mera responded.

"I was... I am," Arthur said as moved to stand closer to her. Mera glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. "We couldn't have done it with you and the Atlantean army..."

"Yes... well it wasn't entirely selfless... if Darkseid had his way the seas would have boiled," Mera stated, lowering her eyes to the tide coming up to splash the tops of her feet.

"Yeah..." Arthur said.

"But also..." Mera turned to him. "I am not sure I could have turned you down."

"Really?" Arthur questioned with a raised eyebrow. Mera moved in close to him. Tantalizing. Teasing. She grinned before diving back into the sea. Arthur smiled before following suit.

(****)

"Is this the piece you needed?" Barry asked as he glanced down at the machine he had picked up off of the workstation in front of him.

"That's the one," Victor answered as he stretched his arm out on the table. Barry moved quickly across the room and sat down at the table. He lifted the device.

"Just run it over my forearm," Victor stated. Barry nodded.

"Will it hurt?" Barry questioned.

"Won't feel a thing," Victor answered. Barry then held the device over Victor's forearm and a red light came out from it and ran up and down the length of Victor's arm. Barry glanced up to Victor to make sure he wasn't bluffing about feeling anything. His look was stoic, giving Barry the slightest grin of reassurance.

"That'll do," Victor answered as he lifted his arm and moved it around. His grin widened as the mobility was much more than it had been.

"Better?" Barry asked.

"Much," Victor replied.

"Good..." Barry said with a smile as he stood up from his chair and returned the device to the workstation. He glanced around the area. "This is quite the space you have here."

"Yeah... I like it," Victor replied. "Bruce... helped me find it."

"Your own Batcave," Barry commented with a chuckle.

"Something like that," Victor replied. "A lot of moving parts to keep me up and running needed a little more legroom than the apartment."

"I hear you," Barry said, his phone vibrating in his pocket distracted him. He pulled it and glanced down at the text message.

"Iris?" Victor questioned. Barry's grin at his words answered for him. "Go on... I'm all good now."

"No it's fine... we can hang out if you want," Barry responded with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"I am meeting dad in a little bit anyway, said he wanted to spend some time together... I think all of this stuff with Darkseid spooked him," Victor said.

"Yeah... I think it did all of us," Barry replied. "Well... I guess I'll go then."

"Okay," Victor said. "Thanks, bro."

"Don't mention it... that's what friends are for," Barry responded before disappearing out the door. Victor shook his head and laughed.

(****)

Bruce sat at the table in the large dining room of his lake house. He rested his elbows on the table and buried his head in his hands. He began to rub his eyes as he let out a sigh. He felt pain. He couldn't really pinpoint it. Too many places. He felt a sense of accomplishment however at how the team had come together to stop Darkseid.

Bruce glanced down at his hands to see he was still suited sans the cowl. He had forgotten and vaguely had a memory of changing but apparently had not done so. Bruce stood up from the table and had to catch himself on the edge of it with his hands as a sharp pain hit his back.

Bruce gritted his teeth and moved to the hallway. He stopped as he caught a glimpse of himself in a large mirror. He turned to it and took note of his appearance. All in all, he was satisfied. He didn't look as bad as he felt. He moved down the hallway and stopped in front of the door to his bedroom. He glanced in the other direction and his eyes rested on the secret panel leading down to the area beneath the mansion.

"I think the work is done, maybe you should take some time to rest," Alfred's voice from the doorway directly behind him startled him slightly. Bruce turned to see him emerging.

"Yeah..." Bruce said. "Luthor is still out there."

"True, but I saw the way you moved through the hall... you need your rest," Alfred countered. Bruce let out a sigh as he peered into his bedroom at the inviting bed. He could use some sleep. "Or..."

"Or what?" Bruce said as he glanced back at Alfred.

"Well... if you can't bring yourself to rest... I suppose I should tell you that someone left a message for you earlier," Alfred said.

"A message?" Bruce asked.

"She stopped by while you were gone," Alfred continued.

"She?" Bruce perked up. Alfred smiled.

"Now... sir... you know I think she can be trouble... but..." Alfred began.

"Selina," Bruce cut him off, aware of whom Alfred was speaking.

"Yes," Alfred confirmed.

"It's been a while," Bruce said before he moved into his bedroom and over to his closet. Alfred approached the doorway and watched as Bruce pulled out a shirt from his closet and tossed it onto the bed.

"I take it you are not going to rest then?" Alfred asked.

"Night's young," Bruce said with half grin and side-glance at Alfred.

"For some," Alfred said with an amused chuckle before turning and making his way down the hall.

Bruce quickly removed the bat suit and grabbed at his cell phone lying on the top of the dresser. He searched his contacts before finding the right one. He pressed "call", and held the device to his ear. After a few seconds, it was answered on the other end.

"I hear you were looking for me?" Bruce said into the phone with a smile on his face.


End file.
